Toro Rosso's best result of the season came thanks to the man they've dropped for 2015. At times, the Red Bull young driver programme can seem quite strange.

Credit where it's due: Jean-Eric Vergne's charge through the field was perhaps his most impressive performance in a Formula 1 car, and puts him right up there with Hamilton and Vettel as star of the race.

Meanwhile team-mate Daniil Kvyat got a brutal lesson in what this grand prix can do when his drinks bottle failed, though the Russian still deserves credit for a strong showing in qualifying.

Vergne looked like a man driving for his F1 career in Singapore, which is exactly what he is. Without Red Bull's support he is almost certain to exit the sport at the end of the year. There is talk of him switching to Sauber if he can raise sponsorship, but unless a billionaire takes a liking to him Vergne will be beaten to that seat by a better-funded racer.

So perhaps it was all in vain, but if you're heading out the door you may as well do so in style. Vergne's driving over the final stretch of this grand prix was the most exciting thing we saw all day. While others were struggling to overhaul the ailing Williams of Valtteri Bottas, Vergne simply barged his way through as if it was his god-given right. Even Kimi Raikkonen was put in his place.

But where has this sort of performance been until now? If he'd been doing it all season he'd have a far better chance of staying in F1, but a one-off star turn simply isn't enough.

He also loses a mark for incurring so many track limits warnings, but given that he held on to sixth despite a five-second penalty he clearly deserves the spot.

And, if that is Vergne's last great drive in an F1 car, he can be very proud.

Kvyat did a superb job to out-qualify Vergne and make the top-10, but his race pace was a little less impressive. It is worth noting that a drinks bottle issue left him near the point of dehydration, however.

It probably didn't help that Kvyat is of such a slender build. Modern F1 may demand super-light drivers, but they are not made to cope with the physical demands of Singapore.

He eventually came home 14th, very much in the shade of team-mate Vergne. However Kvyat is a quick learner who will take the weekend's lessons on board. You can bet that he'll be stronger for it in 12 months time - provided he can get a drink along the way.

James Weeks

James is a freelance motorsport writer who has covered international and domestic championships in print and for the web. He has reported from the British Grand Prix and Le Mans 24 Hours and forgotten more about Formula 1 than was worth knowing in the first place.